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• Excessive BARKING
• PULLING on the lead
• JUMPING up
• DESTRUCTIVENESS
• SEPARATION ANXIETY when left ALONE
• ANXIETY in the CAR
• FOLLOWS you everywhere
• RUNNING OFF when off lead
• SOILING in the house
• AGGRESSION towards other dogs
• AGGRESSION towards you, the owner
• AGGRESSION towards other people
• BITING
• FEARS - eg. of specific places and things, hiding from or barking at visitors etc.
• Excessive PANIC over fireworks and storms
• OBSESSIVE BEHAVIOUR like spinning, licking, shadows etc.
From Cute Puppy to Mad Max
Whatever happened to that cute little bundle of fur, fun and teeth? He grew
up!
In the wolf pack, for the first nine months of his life a cub stays in close proximity to
his den, meeting no strangers. He learns The Rules. He learns through play. He
learns respect. He learns ‘Leaders Make All Decisions’ and that Hierarchy is essential
for pack survival. Then, with the Alphas always leading, is he introduced to the big,
wide world of hunting, scenting, other wolves from rival packs and predators.
Nine months old, when a young wolf is first led out, already understanding
The Rules, is around the age many young dogs are abandoned by their
owners.
A puppy, whatever his breed, is a ‘cub’ in his head. Without a proper ‘cub’ start in life
he can become a teenage delinquent.
Instead of nine months being taught ‘The Rules’, he does what he chooses, when he
chooses. He is taken out in the big world of danger, strangers, dogs, cars, noises,
smells. Nobody has shown him, in ‘cub’ terms he understands, who’s Alpha. No
Leader! His wolf instinct knows the importance of hierarchy for survival and having no
Leader is scary.
He is cuddled and kissed but that doesn’t help. Shouting doesn’t help. Smacking
doesn’t help. From his view the Job of ‘Leader and Decision Maker’ is vacant and
he's programmed to fill it.
So, he barks and we shout (he’s getting attention at least). He growls. He nips. He
messes indoors, he disobeys, destructs, chews - anything to GET attention. (His ‘cub’
instinct knows Alphas GET attention, they don’t GIVE attention). By default he’s
burdened with the Important Alpha Job every minute of the day and night. He patrols.
He seldom rests.
Then, one day, he is fetched by someone in a van and taken to rescue
kennels.
There are lots of unknown dogs in separate kennels, crying. He no longer has a pack
of his own to belong to. He’s isolated (the worst punishment to a wolf) so he cries too.
Soon he’s in another human pack. He’s cuddled and fussed. It’s nice. He evidently
didn’t do his Important Job well enough last time, so he will try even harder now. Even
more than before he jumps up, barks, pulls his new owner over, jumps up, guards.
He attacks other dogs.
Soon he’s back in the rescue kennels.
Eventually he’s found another human pack to live with. Evidently last time he still
didn't do his Important Job well enough.
This cycle can continue until he does someone real damage. He’s a ‘dangerous dog’
and he’s ‘Put Down’.
His nightmare has ended.
However tragic this sounds, it’s never too late. Contact me.
Whether you have a rescue dog still needing ‘rescuing’ or whether you want to give
your puppy his deserved ‘cub’ start in life, we can give you the tools to repair the
situation so that your dog has the relaxed and happy life he deserves.
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from cute pup to mad max
The Dog Lady
Theo Stewart
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